Leaves
by Mrs. Nozomu Sohma
Summary: Four souls locked in a vicious cycle, forever intertwined because of an ancient curse. It started with blood, and it will end in death. [Violence, OOCness, Character Death] [Complete]
1. Falling Leaves

**Author's Note: **This was an experiment to see if I could write an angsty story where not every part ended happily. The plot is probably a little cliche—a theoretical origin of the Sohma curse—but I tried to make it different. I decided to focus on Akito, Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo during this story, having them play starring roles in each part throughout various lifetimes.

I decided to call the story **Leaves** because it follows the cycles of the seasons as well as the different stages of the curse—from its genesis to its end. Even the chapters are named for the different stages of a leaf's life. To avoid confusion about who's who in what life, the first three chapters will be posted in reverse chronological order.

Also, so there's no confusion about the contents of the story, the rating is for **violence** and **death.** There are absolutely _**no**_ sexual undertones here.

I don't know how many people will actually read this, but if you do, I'd really appreciate some feedback.

_For anyone interested, here's a short **summary** of this installment:_ Autumn has always been a time of year that Akito Sohma despised. It dredges up terrible feelings of unrest that he cannot begin to identify. As another course of the dreaded season approaches, he finds himself begging to understand why he has always hated fall...

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Baskets or its characters._

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**Leaves**

**Part 1: Ochiba**

Akito Sohma shivered slightly, pulling the hanten higher on his shoulders. Fall was approaching rapidly, he knew. He could feel it in the very air around him, with every breeze that reminded him ever so slightly of the cold, bitter breath of death.

Autumn had been the season he reviled, even more than the bitter winter that often aggravated his perpetual ill health. Though he would never admit it to anyone, he found that there was a certain beauty to the coldness of winter that he enjoyed—something that harkened back to a simpler life.

Even spring and summer had their good points, but fall had absolutely no redeeming qualities in his mind. The vivid display of red, orange, and golden hues displayed by leaves that others seemed to find resplendent were all too easily likened to their death—the death of all things in nature, he mused. Cool breezes that hearkened to the winds that would soon bring snow on their currents chilled him to the bone, causing him to spend most of his time indoors, even when the weather was mild.

Days like this—cool, blustery days when all of the leaves of every tree on the Sohma estate seemed to have changed colors and clouds hung heavy overhead—were the worst. They were especially difficult to endure when he found himself alone, as he was at that moment.

Generally, he would have called upon one of his faithful Junikyu to join him for the afternoon. However, outside circumstances had prevented him from doing such. Shigure was off promoting one of his most successful novels to date, and Hatori was away, seeing to a bout of flu that had been plaguing Yuki. Akito might have spent the afternoon with Kureno, but he had seen neither hide nor hair of the rooster. Even the other occupants of Sohma house seemed to be otherwise occupied.

As another cool breeze touched his slender frame, the jade god figurehead shuddered ever so slightly. It was getting dark outside; soon, they would all return, whether they liked it or not. His Junikyu always came back.

_They have to be faithful to me,_ he thought cynically. _I am their god. Thanks to me, they are able to lead semi-normal lives. They don't even realize how much power I have over them…_

For as long as he could remember, Akito had known that he was above all others. Everyone had always revered and reviled him simultaneously, blessed and cursed him in the same breath. He made the weight of their burden slightly easier to bear, but at the same time he controlled their very existence.

For that reason alone, many of them were glad to see that his life was edging closer to death. Despite the claims of that stupid, ugly girl that lived under his faithful dog's care, he knew only too well that all of his Junikyu would breathe a sigh of relief with his passing. They would be only too happy to see him go, hoping in vain that his successor would be of a different mind than he had been.

He chuckled sinisterly at the thought. The older ones—Shigure, Hatori, even that pathetic serpent—knew that there was an inherent insanity that seemed to plague the head of the Sohma family without fail; his predecessor had experienced it, as had any that had come before him.

Akito had not been subject to such bouts of madness all his life. He had been relatively balanced until the death of his beloved nurse at the age of four, his precious Hisae, who had been Yuki's predecessor. After that time, he had had terrible temper tantrums that escalated into vengeful displays of rage as he aged. Not even his own mother could control him as the fury of his temper grew.

Sometimes such shows were the only way to remind his Junikyu who their master was. If they were not shown periodically, they would often develop rebellious tendencies—as they had when that girl had entered their presence. Though he had generously decided to allow the ugly woman to continue living with his cousins, she was well aware of what would happen if she so much as made one misstep while in his family's custody. It gave him a sense of control he relished.

Only the threat of autumn's arrival shook his confidence. He would never allow anyone to know, but his hatred for the season masked a deep-seated fear of its very name. It all stemmed from a dream he had had since before he could remember, about the pale face of a young woman with sightless blue marbles for eyes, and cracked, bloody lips that moved with words he could not hear, but were felt just the same: _"When next we meet on the twenty-first eve of autumn, I will bring your death…"_

As a child, the nightmare would cause him to wake up screaming until his nurse came running to see what troubled him. When he recited the promise—more like a threat—he could vaguely remember seeing a flicker of recognition in her eyes before she went about comforting him, telling him that it was not real and that he had nothing to fear. All the same, he had never been able to completely shake the feeling that there was something ominous about the autumnal season.

Akito was brought out of his thoughts when he heard the sound of the shoji slowly sliding shut behind him. Glancing back, he was surprised to see the last person he would have expected.

His steel-gray eyes narrowed in annoyance as he demanded, "What are you doing here?"

It was that stupid, ugly girl he continued to allow to live in Shigure's house. He had allowed her presence at first out of amusement, to see what kind of impact she would have on his Junikyu. As of late, though, he grew ill-at-ease in her company; something about her made him nervous, reminding him vaguely of the strange slip that fall caused in his iron grip on what he believed to be his—and he hated to lose control.

A closer inspection of the girl allowed him to see that she seemed to be out of sorts. The disgustingly happy glint that usually lit her azure eyes was suspiciously absent, and there was no cheery smile plastered on her face. In fact, there was something almost cold about the way she was gazing at him, not saying a word.

Instead of answering him, the girl merely knelt before him, keeping her head carefully lowered while she folded her hands in her lap. Apparently, she was trying to seek an audience with him—how very presumptuous of her.

"I said, what are you doing here?" he growled. She offered him nothing but silence, a tactic that he believed grew tiresome.

Striding forward swiftly, he reached out to yank her head up by the hair. "I don't have times to play games, you ugly girl! Answer me!"

As he jerked her head back, he was startled by the lack of expression she continued to maintain. Her eyes were like lasers, looking right through him, as she quietly murmured, "Have you already forgotten, Ieyasu-san?"

At the mention of the unfamiliar name, Akito glimpsed something he thought he recognized for a brief moment, but it vanished in the blink of an eye. Still, the experience was unsettling for someone who loathed anything that was beyond his comprehension—because it was beyond his control.

His eyes narrowed further. "What are you talking about, you stupid girl?"

"I find it hard to believe you forgot so quickly," she muttered, eyes cast downward. "You kept your promise then, why should you have forgotten mine now?"

"Stop speaking in riddles!" he ordered angrily, shaking her head in an attempt to make her speak sensibly.

"You promised to destroy my happiness because you claimed I destroyed yours, Akahito-dono," the girl answered, using yet another foreign name.

"What are you talking about!" he wanted to know, seething for all that he did not understand the situation. "Who are you talking to!"

Instead of answering directly, she continued her statement, as if he had not interrupted her. "You said you would destroy me when the sun set on our eighteenth summer together. You kept your promise, Ieyasu-san, when you took my life."

There was a flicker of recognition once again as words unspoken entered his mind. _"You destroyed my happiness, and so I shall destroy yours! If ever we should meet again, Tomoe Hamada, I will destroy you! As the sun sets on our eighteenth summer together, I will kill you!"_

The image of the dying young woman appeared suddenly, her cracked, bloody lips moving as he heard the words of an all too familiar voice. _"I hate you. You make us suffer this fate of your own volition. You had your revenge—and I will have mine, too. When next we meet on the twenty-first eve of autumn, I will bring your death, Ieyasu Sohma…"_

Shaken by the alien words and memories, he released his grip on the girl. Even still, he refused to allow her to know how frightened he was. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"I think you do, Akito-san," she whispered, her eyes glittering in the glow coming in from the light on the porch that led into the garden. "You killed me then, because you thought I had robbed you of your happiness. Now, I will take your life in compensation for my own…"

He watched in horror as she suddenly pulled out a gun. "No! I haven't done anything to you!"

"You destroyed me for my happiness," she told him quietly as she slowly loaded the gun and prepared to take aim. "I intend to do the same, Akito-san."

Akito's eyes darted around wildly as he screamed, "Kureno! Hatori!"

"Nobody can help you now, Akito-san," she whispered as she advanced on him.

He backed ever closer to the door, knowing that he should have been running as far from her as possible. But something prevented him from escaping the room. Something caused his feet to feel like lead weights that refused to move outside the boundaries of the enclosure. Something that instinctively knew that he would not survive this encounter.

His breathing was ragged as she drew ever closer and he felt his back hit the doorframe. He was so close—but he could not make his feet take the few steps necessary to stumble out onto the porch.

"You can't do this!" he breathed desperately. "You're too weak to kill me! You're just a stupid, ugly girl who sticks her nose in where it doesn't belong! You can't kill anyone because you're too _nice!"_

"That's what you said then, Ieyasu-san," she replied. "You said I was too cheerful and happy to kill anyone, ever. But you could never have realized you couldn't destroy anything. Do you know why? It's because I was never truly happy again, Akahito-dono. When Yasuhiko died, I died as well. Not even reincarnation can heal the wounds it created.

"All my life, I wondered why I was never truly happy." She paused a moment, as if reflecting. Then she went on. "But the moment I met you, from the first time I laid eyes on you, Akito-san, I realized the source of my sadness. I played the fool, getting close to Yasuhiko and the others again, all the while waiting for this moment. You believed my death then would bring you happiness, and you took the opportunity to fulfill your promise.

"Now I, too, will attempt to regain my happiness," the girl whispered, pointing the gun at his forehead. "You're happier now than you were then, Ieyasu-san. I want that same happiness next time as well. After all my waiting, I've come to fulfill my promise to you."

He wasn't sure when, but at some point, tears had begun to stream down his cheeks; even with the inflectionless tone she adopted, he could see that she was having the same reaction to her own words. And though he did not completely understand what she was trying to tell him, some part of his soul recognized it in a way that was beyond mortal comprehension.

Akito did not even know what he meant as he told her, "It was your brother who cursed us! If you want to blame someone, place responsibility where it is due!"

Blinking back fresh tears, the girl shook her head slowly. "It wasn't Aniue alone, Akito-san. You cursed us all, to be reborn time and again. We've all lived a thousand times in misery. Only when your blood is thinned to extinction shall our curse be lifted."

She turned the safety off with a soft _click_. For a long moment, Akito inhaled deeply. Refusing to show weakness, he closed his eyes as he distantly heard the sound of the gun firing and—

Tohru Honda watched blankly as his body slump to the floor, the hole in his forehead leaking blood. Tears continued to stream down her face as she watched him, whispering, "Forgive me, Akito-san, but we must end this cycle…"

She looked up expectantly as she heard the sound of frantic footsteps approaching. A moment later, the door was thrown open as a panicked Kyo shouted, "Tohru!"

When he took in the scene before him, he swallowed hard and resisted the urge to vomit. Eyes wide in horror, they flickered to the girl and the firearm she still held in her hand. "W-what're you—"

Shaking her head sadly, she slowly lifted the gun and aimed it at another target. "I'm sorry, Aniue…"

His crimson eyes were impossibly large as he sputtered, "Tohru—no—!"

Too late. She fired the gun.

The Junikyu cat watched in horror as his best friend crumpled to the ground in a heap and the gun clattered from her hand. She'd shot herself in the temple.

Rushing over to her, he pulled her limp body into his arms. He knew she was dead, but he couldn't simply believe that she would shoot herself. Feeling tears forming in his eyes, he choked back a sob as he whispered, "Damn it! Why, Tohru?"


	2. Green Leaves

**Author's Note:** I'm going to be posting the rest of the story, despite the fact that nobody seems all that interested in reading this. I hope I didn't scare everyone away with the summary. --;

I'm assuming that maybe, due to the fact that there were a lot of unknown elements, some people were confused by the last chapter. To help alleviate any confusion anyone who reads this might have, I'll be posting the entire story this time.

I'd really appreciate a review, even if you don't enjoy everything about the story.

For chronological purposes, this story is set sometime in the mid-Meiji Era, and follows a little bit of the generation before the Fruits Basket gang where they were last together (including Tohru's last incarnation).

**_Chapter Summary:_** Sen Ajibana thought that everything was going well in her life. She was engaged to her beloved Takuro and had made peace with her estranged half-brother, Hajime. But as that fateful summer approached, everything began to fall apart in the presence of Ieyasu Sohma...

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Baskets or its characters. However, I do own all of the original characters included herein._

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**Leaves**

**Part 2: Aoba**

Sen Ajibana inhaled deeply, savoring the delightful floral aroma that wafted past her nose. It was the first day of summer, one of her favorite times of the year, and everything was absolutely perfect: a clear, sunny day where all of nature seemed to be humming with life. Only one thing could have made it more perfect…

Smiling to herself, she gazed down at the water in the small pond in the garden she was sitting in and saw the face of her husband-to-be: Takuro Sohma.

Takuro was the most handsome man she had ever met, more beautiful than most women she knew, in truth. But appearances were superficial in Sen's opinion. She loved Takuro for the beauty that lay in his soul, not in his face—although that didn't hurt, either, she mused with a smile.

But her beloved's almost supernatural beauty was not so unusual amongst members of the Sohma family, particularly members of the Junikyu. All of them seemed to possess a comeliness that was almost unearthly, even the men (of which there were eleven, counting the cat). They were the envy—and sometimes the object of affection—of all the women (and some men) in the city.

Her dreamy smile slowly morphed into a thoughtful frown as her thoughts shifted to the other members of the Junikyu, particularly the cat—her own half-brother, Hajime Sohma. She had promised that she would visit him that afternoon, but she had become so lost in her daydreams of what it would be like to marry Takuro that fall that she had all but forgotten her obligations.

_I hope Niisan isn't angry with me,_ she thought as she bit her lip and started across the compound to the cat's "house," which was really more of a cell. _Wasn't Seika-neechan supposed to be visiting him today, too? I hope so—he couldn't possibly be angry if she's there!_

Sen had never been particularly close to her half-brother. He had been the product of her mother's first marriage to Hachemon Sohma, and rejected by her for the sole reason that he bore the most malevolent of the vengeful Juunishi spirits.

The dragon, Eisaku, had erased Akemi Sohma's memories of ever having her first child after the death of her first husband and she went on to marry a man named Hidehira Ajibana—Sen's father. She remained close to her family, but she never lived inside the estate's walls again. For those reasons, Sen had been unaware of her Hajime's existence—or even of the curse—until she was ten years old.

It was at that time that Hidehira, a member of the military police, died in a skirmish against some of the rebel samurai left over from the shogunate in Edo. Akemi had been grief-stricken at the loss of her husband and had killed herself while her young daughter slept one night. With her mother's death, Hidehira's relatives had been prepared to take her in as a ward—but only if she worked as a servant in their household.

Fortunately or unfortunately, it had been revealed to her that she had an older half-brother by her mother's first marriage. However, her brother had not been nearly old enough to care for her, either. Instead, she had become the ward of Hajime's guardian, Kennada. It was within Kennada's house that she had first met Takuro and his older sister, Seika, and learned of the curse that afflicted her mother's family. Only for the fact that her brother was a Junikyu (of sorts) was she spared a place under Eisaku's hand.

She and Hajime had never been close, and they probably never would be. However, they had managed to reconcile their differences and were even attempting to form a civil relationship. One of the few areas of ground that was forbidden, though, was her relationship with Takuro.

Sen thought that it was ridiculous, but for as long as she had known the two men, they had hated each other with a passion. Seika had explained that it was the nature of their curses, being the cat and the rat; Sen did not share her sister-in-law's outlook and believed it was a flimsy excuse (though, for all of her conviction, she had no better explanation). Only in her presence did they even manage to grudgingly respect each other—or so Seika said.

Suddenly, a cool breeze caught Sen's kimono, causing her sleeves to flap in the wind. She could not be sure why, but she shivered at its touch. It was a reminder that it was only the first day of summer, and still somewhat cool when the wind picked up. The girl had never liked the wind; it reminded her too much of a person's breath—particularly of someone breathing on her neck…

"Ajibana-san," said a voice, startling her out of her thoughts. She immediately turned in the direction of the voice and saw Meiji Sohma gazing at her expectantly. For some reason, she felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck when she saw him; Meiji was the rooster, and the most faithful of the Junikyu to their master, Ieyasu Sohma.

Swallowing hard, Sen stammered, "Meiji-san!"

It was rare to see Meiji away from Ieyasu's side; he served as a bodyguard to the head of the Sohma clan. Only on occasion would he leave his master's side—and it always meant something terrible was about to occur, Takuro and Seika warned her continuously. However, Sen had always tried to see the kinder side of people, and always tried to give them the benefit of the doubt (though she had yet to witness any acts of kindness where either Meiji or Ieyasu were concerned).

The auburn-haired man's mahogany eyes were solemn as he intoned, "Please come with me, Ajibana-san. Ieyasu-sama has requested your presence."

As always, the mention of the clan head caused Sen's heart to skip a beat. Takuro and the other Junikyu had always warned her away from Ieyasu; it was only by his good graces that she had managed to live inside the compound for the last eight years, and though their paths had crossed a few times, they had never met directly. However, she knew that it was rude—not to mention dangerous—to refuse a summons from the man who controlled the very lives of the Junikyu.

She licked her lips nervously before she replied, "Of course, Meiji-san…"

Silently, the man who wore a white Western-style shirt coupled with maroon hakama led her to the house belonging to the clan head. With each step, Sen heard her heartbeat thudding in her ears—loud enough for everyone else to hear, she felt certain. As they went, she became acutely aware of the fact that there were very few people around. In fact, she had only even seen Meiji. Where was everyone…?

"We are here." The sound of Meiji's voice startled the girl out of her thoughts. When she gave him a blank look, he gestured for her to enter. "Ieyasu-sama is expecting you, Ajibana-san."

"Yes," she said slowly, reaching out to slide the shoji open with a shaking hand. Once inside, she carefully closed it behind her. She could hear the soft _clak-clak_ of the man's geta on the floorboards as he left.

Little by little, she turned to face the other occupant of the room. Ieyasu sat on the porch that overlooked his private garden. He looked so unassuming that for a moment she wondered why she had ever been afraid of meeting him alone.

With a soft sigh, Sen removed her shoes and knelt in the middle of the room, gazing expectantly at the clan head. A pregnant silence engulfed them and she began to fidget. Coughing quietly, she softly inquired, "I-Ieyasu-san…?"

Slowly, Ieyasu turned to glance at her over his shoulder. "So, we finally meet…Sen Ajibana-san." A soft smile lit his lips as he added, "It's nice to make your acquaintance…"

The blue-eyed girl blinked at his friendliness. Perhaps she had been wrong to suspect him, after all. Then she realized how rude she must have seemed for not returning the sentiment and immediately bowed her head and stammered, "Ah, yes! It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, Iyeasu-san!"

He put up a hand to stop any further onslaught of apologetic greetings. "Relax, Ajibana-san. I apologize if I make you nervous." It might have been her imagination, but she thought she saw him smirk. "I tend to have that affect on people."

As Ieyasu rose to his feet and slowly approached her, Sen felt a chill race down her spine. She swallowed hard and lowered her eyes, attempting to cover up her previous lack of manners by a show of proper respect toward a man. Her attempts were in vain, because she gasped when she suddenly felt the clan head grasping her face by the chin, forcing her to look upward.

The young man examined her coldly for a moment before his steel-gray orbs narrowed and a smirk overtook his face once more. Then he released her chin rather abruptly, causing her to falter slightly without his strength to counterbalance her. She stared up at him in confusion as he told her, "You haven't changed a bit, have you? You're still the same plain girl you always were."

Sen knew that she should have been insulted by the comment, but the way he spoke had an almost otherworldly quality, as though he was not truly speaking to her but rather someone else. Rubbing her chin gingerly, she murmured, "I…don't understand, Ieyasu-san. What are you talking about?"

"I'm not surprised you don't remember," he said coolly, turning to gaze out at the garden once again where the sun was slowly beginning to set. "It was a very long time ago, the last time we saw each other. Unless you have a purpose, it's easy to forget something you probably regarded as inconsequential."

The way Ieyasu spoke continued to make the brown-haired young woman nervous. Licking her lips, she asked, "Ieyasu-san…why did you wish to see me…?"

She didn't like the way he slowly turned to regard her with an expression that was almost akin to surprise, mocking her. He chuckled and hooked a hand under her chin again. "Silly girl. You really don't know, do you?"

Then, without warning, he drew back and slapped her across the face. The force of the blow knocked her backward and she instinctively reached up to touch her check that still stung. She was surprised to find that her lips were also tingling. Reaching up with gentle fingers, she gingerly touched them—and was shocked to see that blood dotted the digits' pads.

Sen gazed up at him in bewilderment and whispered, "W-why?"

"Do you know the reason you were not turned out, Ajibana-san?" Ieyasu asked her. At the slow shake of her head, he chuckled again. "Did you truly think that you were taken in only because of that revolting monster your mother had the misfortune to bring into this world?"

Her mind whirled. Of course Hajime had been the reason she had been allowed into the Sohma family fold. Why else would they have accepted her?

"You probably don't remember, but we have met before." There was a faraway look in his eyes as he turned to gaze out at the garden again. "I wanted to meet Akemi-neesan, to see what was so appealing that she would rather live outside the walls of the compound. That's when I saw you, playing outside with your friends; you weren't even ten years old. But even then I recognized you, Tomoe…"

His sharp eyes focused on her immediately and any attempts she might have made to correct him as to her name died in her throat. "You never were very clever; but perhaps you made an attempt to get closer to Yasuhiko once again by being born as close to the family as you possibly could. At first, I was enraged. But when your parents died, I realized what a perfect opportunity you were granting me."

His wintry smile caused her heart to jump into her throat, despite the fact that she had no idea what he was talking about. "By allowing yourself to be born into my family, you were all but offering me a chance to fulfill the promise I made to you so long ago. I allowed Kennada-jichan's family to take you in, so that everyone might think it was because of that monster that you were allowed to live here."

Ieyasu's eyes flashed as his emotions quickly changed. "When I learned that you were trying to get close to Takuro, I was enraged. To think that Yasuhiko even had the gall to ask for my permission to _marry_ you…!" He snickered a bit then, his expression changing once more. "But I do admit that it was somewhat amusing to watch him squirm. When I gave him permission, it was only because with a wedding constantly in your thoughts, you would be suitably distracted. It was too perfect and would successfully allow me to steal your happiness."

The family head was insane—that was all there was to it, she decided. In a tremulous voice, she asked, "What're you talking about?"

The dark-haired young man made a sound of disappointment. "Perhaps I should refresh your memory, Tomoe. You see, you took away my happiness one night, a very long time ago. Your brother came in a feeble attempt to 'rescue' you and killed Yasuhiko. Then he uttered a curse upon us, in an attempt to cause us to suffer the way _he_ had." There was a sneer in his voice that frightened her. "It was your fault that he died, and I vowed to have my revenge, Tomoe. Now I intend to have it…"

The young woman watched in horror as he drew a knife from the folds of his obi and brandished it in a threatening manner. In the chasms of her mind, she heard unspoken words echo. _"You destroyed my happiness, and so I shall destroy yours! If ever we should meet again, Tomoe Hamada, I will destroy you! As the sun sets on our eighteenth summer together, I will kill you!"_

Sen trembled with fear as she slowly scrambled backward—only to find herself met with the barrier of the shoji door. Her eyes wide, she pleaded, "Ieyasu-san, I haven't done anything to you!"

She watched as a mad grin overtook his face. "That's where you're wrong, Ajibana-san. _You stole my happiness!"_ With a shout, he dove at her.

The girl ducked out of his reach and lurched to her feet, running for the door with Ieyasu in hot pursuit. As she ran, she yelled, "Takuro! Meiji-san!"

Suddenly she felt the man tackle her from behind. Forcing her to turn over, he laughed maniacally and ran the blade across her cheek, creating a thin line of blood. "Nobody can help you now!"

Her pupils constricted in fear and, in a final effort to save herself, she screamed, _"NIISAN!"_

A moment later, her screams of pain echoed throughout the walls of the compound as she felt Ieyasu slit her belly. The pain was so intense, tears were almost immediately streaming from her eyes and she began to sob. Gazing at the family head who continued to straddle her legs, she choked out, "Why…?"

"You destroyed my happiness, and now I have destroyed yours," he replied simply, as if the statement made all the sense in the world. "Now, I have kept my promise to you, Tomoe. All that's left is to watch you slowly die."

Her eyes glazed over as his meaning sank in. Long-forgotten memories resurfaced—those of the time that Ieyasu had spoken in what seemed to be a bout of madness. How could she have known he was speaking truth, even if only in a twisted fashion? Only now did her soul recognize it as true.

His promise to steal her happiness rang through her head again, and she began to ponder the truth of the statement. Had she really been happy, living as she had now? No, she realized with a start. She could scarcely remember any happiness in her life, save perhaps her time with Takuro.

Then she sluggishly shook her head as she recognized that not even Takuro had truly ever made her happy. She had thought she was content, but there had always been something lacking, she now realized—something that had been lost with the death of Yasuhiko. Any memories she had of time with Takuro were tainted with the truth, bittersweet at best.

A hollow laugh erupted from her throat as the connection was made.

Ieyasu frowned in annoyance as he saw Sen chuckling. "What's so funny?"

She lifted her head a bit to gaze at him with vacant azure orbs. "You've failed, Akahito-dono. There was nothing for you to destroy…"

"Y-you're lying," he stammered in an attempt to reassure himself. His steel-gray eyes narrowed. "I've destroyed any chance you had of ever being happy again!"

"There was nothing left to destroy," she repeated. Then she softly said, "I hate you. You make us suffer this fate of your own volition. You had your revenge—and I will have mine, too. When next we meet on the twenty-first eve of autumn, I will bring your death, Ieyasu Sohma…"

Ieyasu glared down at her as he pronounced, "You're too weak to kill anyone, Ajibana-san. You're too cheerful and kind to harm to any living creature!"

"I'll kill you, Ieyasu-san," she whispered with a thin smile. "I promise…"

Driven into a mad frenzy by the fear her words elicited, the clan head shrieked, _"Shut up!"_ and drove the knife into her throat, twisting it. He watched as she gurgled in pain, blood gushing from her throat and mouth as her entire body jerked. His breathing became labored as he watched her form finally still and her eyes glaze over.

"I won't let you win!" he hissed angrily. "I've had my revenge and there's no way you will ever be able to destroy me, Tomoe!"

"Sen!" called a voice suddenly. It belonged to the cat, her half-brother. Likely, he had heard her screams; except for himself and Meiji, Hajime was the only other person who had been allowed on the property. But what was he doing out of his cage?

Cursing under his breath, Ieyasu lifted himself off the ground and went to dispose of his bloodstained garments.

A moment later, Hajime came upon the sight of his half-sister lying in a pool of her own blood that shimmered in the light of the sinking sun. Eyes wide in horror, he raced forward and examined her. There was no way she could possibly be alive; nobody could survive a slit stomach and gored throat. If only he'd arrived sooner!

Cradling her head in his lap, he whispered, "Damn it, Sen. Who did this to you… why…?"


	3. Buds

**Author's Note:** I'm going to be posting the rest of the story, despite the fact that nobody seems all that interested in reading this. I hope I didn't scare everyone away with the summary. --;

I'm assuming that maybe, due to the fact that there was a lot of unknown elements, some people were confused by the last chapter. To help alleviate any confusion anyone who reads this might have, I'll be posting the entire story this time.

I'd really appreciate a review, even if you don't enjoy everything about the story.

For chronological purposes, this chapter is set sometime in the Heian Period, and traces the origins of the Sohma family's curse. (Also, I will say out right that some elements of this chapter were inspired by Ina-chan's work. However, I did **not** copy it.)

**_Chapter Summary:_** By his elder brother's order, Yasuhiko Sohma had been married to Tomoe, the woman captured during the battle for the Hamada clan's lands. However, the feud between the clans was far from over. With the coming of a new spring came a renewed thirst for vengeance...

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Baskets or its characters. However, I do own all of the original characters included herein._

* * *

**Leaves**

**Part 3: Wakame**

It was a cool spring night, the first of its kind for the year. The trees were only beginning to bud. Spring had always been Yasuhiko Sohma's favorite time of year, but he had begun to dread its approach, for it always seemed to signal the beginning of a new series of battles the family was forced to endure so that they could maintain the borders their territory.

Not that Yasuhiko had ever been party to any sort of territorial battles himself, though he had been involved in a few skirmishes with the local rice farmers who attempted to rise up against the family. As the youngest son of the late Toshihiko Sohma, the former clan leader, he had been shielded from public view for most of his life. And though he had been trained as a samurai, only those of lesser rank were expected to battle against invaders and rival clans.

It had also never been in Yasuhiko's nature to be a warrior. He truthfully despised anything that even hinted at combat; he would much rather be indoors, writing poetry, than practicing mortal combat with his cousins. His only real escape was spending time with Satoru, a born scholar who constantly tried to apply his favorite fairytales to life, and probably the closest thing the young man had to a true confidant.

Perhaps it was better to have been born into his current lot, mused Yasuhiko with a wry smile. For all of the formality that he despised, he did not know if he would have been able to stand preparing for battle every spring with Masakazu and Hidetora. As it was, he was often asked by some of his older cousins to aid in planning battle strategies; for all that he hated combat, Yasuhiko had a brilliant tactical imagination—even Akahito looked to him for guidance in certain situations.

Yasuhiko had never had problems in dealing with people for the most part. He always made an effort to be personable, and earned the respect of nearly everyone who came into contact with him; Satoru had once said that he would probably do just as well in the position of clan head, if not better than, his brother. However, the young man was glad that he had not inherited the mantle of his father's station; in his opinion, his elder brother was far better suited to the task of leading the Sohma clan.

Akahito was everything a leader should have been: gentle, levelheaded, honorable, and charismatic. Yasuhiko was none of these things; he had a difficult time envisioning himself doing something for another person if it meant putting himself in danger, would manipulate others to gain whatever he wanted, and often caught himself scorning those below his status—even Masakazu and Hidetora, at times. His brother was a much better heir than he ever would have been.

There had only been one instance in which Yasuhiko had ever questioned his brother's judgment…

"Yasuhiko?" said a voice behind him, startling the man into glancing back. He saw Hidetora standing behind him with a curious expression. "What are you doing out here so late?"

The other young man released a taut breath and glanced up at the stars. "I was just thinking, Hidetora…"

"About what?" the older man wanted to know.

Yasuhiko briefly glanced at his cousin, a slight smile flitting across his face. Hidetora had once been as close to him as his own brother, but when their formal training for their respective stations in life began they had started to drift apart; with his distaste for all things associated with war, Yasuhiko had sought refuge in the prose of literature while Hidetora had grown closer to Masakazu as they faced the horrors of battle together. Despite the chasm that had formed between them, he still had a special affection for the older man that seemed to be mutual sometimes.

Then he briefly closed his eyes and murmured, "Nothing, really. Mostly about how I hate the coming of spring."

The black-haired man frowned deeply. "_Hate_ spring? Yahiko," he said, invoking a childhood nickname, "you used to _love_ spring. Why the change of heart?"

Yasuhiko gazed at his cousin wearily. "I've learned that spring means the coming of new battles, more senseless bloodshed, all in the name of maintaining the borders of our territory. I hate it all, Hide; I hate anything that can be associated with death."

"Most people would associate spring with new life," commented Hidetora dryly. "You're the only person I know who would readily see a correlation between spring and death, Yahiko."

"How can you, of all people, say that, Hidetora?" demanded the clan head's brother, a surge of anger filling him. His eyes narrowed as he gazed at the other man. "You know better than anyone that spring means a return to battle, and battle means death! Everyone must know it—but they all act as if it doesn't. How can you all be so naïve?"

Unexpectedly, he saw a change in his cousin's demeanor. The normally laidback Hidetora's eyes suddenly hardened and he reached out, grabbing the other man's kimono collar. In a low voice he demanded, "How can _you_ be so shallow?"

Blinking, Yasuhiko faltered. "W-what do you mean?"

Hidetora glowered at the younger man and said, "Do you think you're the only one who knows spring means new, more intense battles? Don't you think it bothers the rest of us, too?" Yasuhiko could only stammer unintelligibly as the older man growled and tightened his grip on his collar. "Dwelling on the fact isn't going to change it, Yasuhiko. We try to make the best of what's here for us now. You're the one who's naïve, always sulking about war."

Hidetora released his cousin's collar then, but continued to gaze at him disdainfully. "Your mother spoiled you, Yahiko, and Satoru-jichan indulges you too often. Maybe taking part in a real battle would do you good. You might earn some respect for those of us who fight in your name and Akahito-dono's. And maybe you would learn to appreciate the spoils of war more than you do." (The reverence used with his brother's name was not something lost on the younger man as an insult.)

Yasuhiko flinched at the not-so-subtle reference. Then he narrowed his eyes and said, "I would appreciate it if you didn't bring my wife into this."

The black-haired man snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Tomoe-chan deserves better than a spoiled brat like you, Yahiko. I'll never understand why Akahito-dono had _you_ marry her."

"For once, we're in agreement," muttered the blue-black-haired man bitterly. "I don't know, either. Akato must have been suffering from a lapse in lucidity at the time…"

Hidetora's expression softened. However, he turned to look away before Yasuhiko could see it as he quietly said, "No, Akahito-dono knew exactly what it was doing, Yasuhiko. He knew that many of the people we conquered last year still respect the Hamada family; having you marry Tomoe-chan cemented the integration of their lands with our own."

Yasuhiko didn't see the slight smile on his kinsman's face as he added, "And she seems to love you despite the fact that you _are_ a spoiled brat."

The Sohma clan head's brother couldn't help smiling as well. It had been almost eighteen months since the Sohmas had conquered the lands that had once belonged to the Hamada clan and captured the "swirled jewel" of the family, the girl many had reverently called "Tomoe-no-Tama-Hime." Though she was perhaps not as beautiful as the legendary Princess Kaguya, the beauty of her soul more than made up for any lacking in physical attractiveness.

Unlike many of the other daughters of samurai lords Yasuhiko had met, Tomoe had never been particularly vain, and always went out of her way to show everyone kindness. And unlike his own brand of false compassion, hers was real. For that reason alone, he could have loved her, but there were so many other aspects of her personality—all of them wonderful—that he found appealing. It was impossible not to love her, he mused.

_Everyone loves Tomoe,_ thought Yasuhiko. Even the more aloof members of the Sohma family—like Hayato and Kazuki—were slowly being won over by her thoughtfulness and munificent nature. She was also surprisingly shrewd when she wanted to be; armed with anecdotes from her beloved mother, she almost always knew what to say and when to say it.

It had been a little over a year since he had married Tomoe, and in that time she had expressed very little regret when it came to their marriage. That had been a pleasant surprise to all of the Sohmas, the fact that she bore them no resentment despite the fact that she had originally been taken as a spoil of war. It had puzzled Yasuhiko to no end, but he had come to accept the fact that she seemed generally happy with her life now.

The only time he had ever seen her look sad was when she talked about her elder brother, the Hamada clan "fire prince" (so nicknamed for his passionate nature and violent temper). However, as the topic created an uncomfortable atmosphere, it was generally avoided in conversations.

Yasuhiko saw Hidetora suddenly turn a bit to look at someone else who was approaching. He smirked slightly and murmured, "Speak of the devil…"

The younger man turned a bit to see his wife approaching, a worried look on her face as she called out to the two men. "Yasuhiko! Hidetora-san!"

"Tomoe," said her husband with an anxious expression of his own. He gently clasped her hands as she neared him. "Is something the matter?"

Her apprehension did not vanish. "I had a nightmare, and…when I woke…and you weren't there…"

Yasuhiko tightened his grip on her hands. He knew that she had been having trouble sleeping as of late, claiming that she had dreams about finding him lying in a pool of his own blood; it was all he could do to reassure her that he was still with her as she woke from her fitful slumber. The details of her description often sent chills down his spine, despite the fact that he did not believe it would happen.

In a rare display of affection, the young man drew his wife to him and smoothed a lengthy brown curl from her face and kissed her temple. "It was just a dream, Tomoe. Nothing happened. I'm fine. Go back to bed."

The woman did not appear convinced as he drew away to gaze down at her. "Yasuhiko…" she started to argue.

Instead of allowing her to finish, he turned to Hidetora. "Hide, would you mind escorting Tomoe back to the house?"

"Of course." Hidetora turned to Tomoe. "C'mon, Tomoe-chan. Let's leave Yahiko to brood over his revulsion for combat a while longer."

"But Hidetora-san…" Tomoe fumbled a bit as he gently drew her along with him. She cast one final glance at her husband and whispered, "Please hurry, Yasuhiko…"

He offered her a slight smile. "I'll be along in a few minutes, Tomoe…" Then he watched his older cousin lead the young woman away.

Tomoe was such a kind person, Yasuhiko didn't know how she could possibly love someone like him. He briefly closed his eyes and murmured, "I don't deserve someone like her…"

"You're right," interjected another voice, causing his eyes to fly open. An unfamiliar man with light brown hair stood before him, his face twisted into a mask of rage as he added, "You _don't_ deserve Tomoe-chan!"

Panic froze the dark-haired young man as he saw the other man brandishing a katana. He could only gasp as the man dressed in black advanced on him, holding his blade in an offensive stance. "W-who are you?"

"You killed my father to gain our lands, yet you know nothing of the person whose territory you stole?" The young man laughed derisively. "You really are stupid, aren't you, Sohma-_kou_?"

Yasuhiko's eyes widened in fear as he realized that this person was mistaking him for his brother and he retreated a step. "I—"

"Shut up!" snarled the other man before he could even begin to speak. "You stole everything that was precious to me, Sohma-_kou_—the lands I stood to inherit, the loyalty of my people, but most importantly—"

His blade arced through the air, the tip digging into Yasuhiko's throat. His deep brown eyes seemed to glow crimson in the light of the full moon as he hissed, "You stole Tomoe-chan!"

The dark-haired man inhaled sharply as the connection was made in his brain. _The Fire Prince!_

"What's going on here?" demanded a familiar voice as both men to turn slightly. Yasuhiko had never been as relieved to see Masakazu, Atsumori, or Kawanari. All of his cousins reached for their weapons when they saw their clan head's younger brother with a blade held to his throat.

The stranger glanced frantically as he saw others beginning to gather in the courtyard; they were starting to attract a crowd. Refusing to be intimidated after having come this far, though, he immediately grabbed his captive and held the sharp side of his katana to the man's throat as he glared at the newcomers. "Take another step, and your master dies, Sohma dogs!"

Young Atsumori glowered and prepared to draw his sword despite. Only a look from Hayato, the man he admired most, could stop him. Even Kawanari—the bold Sohma "tiger"—hesitated with the knowledge that the stranger would not hesitate for a moment to end Yasuhiko's life.

Despite the stranger's order, one young girl stepped forward. She was perhaps fourteen, and her face was a solemn mask as she approached him. The stranger drew the sword harder against Yasuhiko's neck, causing him to swallow uncomfortably, and he wondered briefly who this foolish child was.

"Kimie, get back!" hissed Masakazu anxiously.

Kimie ignored the order. Instead, she stopped only a few feet away from the stranger and softly asked, "What do you want from us?"

The light-haired stranger was startled by her request, but not for long. He chuckled cynically before the sound became a peal of insane laughter. "What do I _want!_ You have the _nerve_ to ask me that, little girl, after everything your family has done to me!"

He glared accusingly at the eleven onlookers before he gestured to his hostage. "This man—your _master_—had the gall to presume he could steal from the Hamada clan without retribution! He had you damn dogs destroy my family, murdering everyone I loved before my eyes—all but one… And he stole her and married her himself, so that he could remind her daily of how he had become her master as well!"

"No!" cried Kimie, eyes wide in horror. "Tomoe-neesan did not—"

"Shut up!" the man shouted, silencing her protests. He glanced at the helpless bystanders again, tightening his grip on his captive. "You Sohmas destroyed everything I've ever held dear—and so, now, I shall destroy the thing most precious to you—your _master!"_

With those words, the stranger withdrew his blade from his hostage's throat. All of those who had been held off by his threat were suddenly thrust into action, but too late—he had slit his captive's belly. The man watched with no small amount of satisfaction as the man he hated more than anyone else fell to his knees, gasping in pain as he grasped at his abdomen in a futile attempt to stop the blood flow.

Then he turned to look at each of the onlookers and barked, "As long as there is yet a Sohma living, none of you will ever know the joy of true happiness, or hold those you love in your arms! Until your blood is wiped from the face of the Earth, you will continue to pay for your misdeeds against the Hamada clan!"

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded a familiar voice. The crowd of eleven parted slightly, and the light-haired man turned to see the glaring face of the man he had just maimed staring back at him. His steely eyes widened as he took in the sight of the man on the ground and he was instantly at his side. _"YASUHIKO!"_

The fair-haired man watched in horror as his victim drew in a deep breath and whispered, "It…hurts…Akato…"

"Yasuhiko, no…" whispered the other man, his head shaking in disbelief.

"I guess…I'm not a very good fighter, eh, Niichan…?" Yasuhiko attempted to smile weakly at his brother, but then he doubled over in pain.

_His brother!_ thought stranger, agape. _No…_

"Don't talk!" ordered Akahito gently, pulling the younger man into his arms.

Despite the command, Yasuhiko licked his lips and murmured, "I'm sorry, Niichan… I couldn't…defend myself…and now…I'm going to die for it…"

Fear gripped Akahito's heart at his brother's words. He refused to consider the possibility of losing the person he loved most. "Don't say things like that…!"

The stranger watched helplessly as he realized the magnitude of his mistake. However, none of that seemed to matter as he suddenly heard a soft voice inquire, "Aniue…?"

Keita Hamada turned slowly—painfully so—to see the face of his beloved sister gazing at him in horror. His jaw worked itself up and down before he whispered, "Tomoe-chan, I…" No words would ever make it right again.

"You did this, didn't you?" ground the voice of Akahito Sohma, startling everyone into looking at him. Yasuhiko had passed out in his brother's lap from the pain, and Akahito's eyes reflected rage. "You condemned him to death!"

Keita watched as Tomoe attempted to move toward them as she whispered, "Akahito-dono—!"

The look the clan head gave her stopped her. It was a look of such hatred that she felt a chill race down her spine. His dark gray eyes narrowed as he hissed, "I should have had you killed along with the rest of your family! Because of you, everything is ruined! You destroyed my happiness, and so I shall destroy yours! If ever we should meet again, Tomoe Hamada, I will destroy you! As the sun sets on our eighteenth summer together, I will kill you!"

Tears raced down Tomoe's face as she shook her head in denial before falling to her knees, dissolving into tears. That was the last thing Keita could clearly remember before he began to sway on his feet and collapsed.

When he woke again, it was to the sound of a soft feminine voice humming an unfamiliar tune. His eyelids slowly fluttered open and he glanced around at strange surroundings. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the humming stopped and a young woman stepped into his line of vision—the same girl who had approached him as he attempted to exact his revenge on the Sohma clan head.

The dark-haired girl smiled faintly at him as she quietly said, "Good, you're awake. I was beginning to worry you would be asleep forever."

"Where am I?" he croaked. His throat was parched and his voice scratchy.

The girl—Kimie, if he remembered correctly—ladled water into a small bowl before handing it to him; he greedily gulped it as she told him, "You're at the Sohma honke."

Keita nearly spat the water back out. Coughing, he stared at her in disbelief. "What? _Why!"_

There was a pained look in her gray eyes. "Because Akahito-dono has decided to spare your life, even though you killed Yasuhiko-dono."

"He felt it would serve as a better fate than death," added another voice, causing both of Keita and Kimie to look toward the doorway. A young man with black hair, impossibly streaked with white stripes, stood there, giving Keita the blackest glare he had ever received.

"Hidetora-san," said the girl reproachfully.

The older man—Hidetora—ignored her as he continued to fix Keita with a glare. "It's because of you that all of this happened. You've condemned us all—including yourself…"

Keita narrowed his eyes. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

A sardonic smirk overtook the older man's features, twisting them. "You shattered the infrastructure of the Sohma family by killing an innocent man, Hamada-_kou."_ (Keita didn't miss scathing use of a title reserved for the highest order of respect.) "You've managed to destroy our leader's sanity and orphan a helpless child through whose veins your blood runs."

The younger man's eyes widened as he stammered incoherently. Hidetora laughed humorlessly and nodded. "That's right. Yahiko and Tomoe-chan had a child—your own nephew. Shinya-chan really _is_ a beautiful child; it only too bad that he's going to be raised by people other than his parents."

"Tomoe-neesan couldn't handle Yasuhiko-dono's death," added Kimie, causing Keita to look at him. "She committed suicide…"

Keita shook his head in denial. No. After all that he had gone through, all of it in an attempt to get his sister back, he had failed.

"But Akahito-dono knew you would miss her—so he made provisions to ensure that she would always be with you…" Hidetora went on.

It was then that Keita noticed an unfamiliar weight on his left wrist. Glancing down, he saw that a bracelet had been placed on it. He frowned as he noticed the colors of the beads: deep scarlet and polished ivory…

"After all, you went through so much trouble trying to get her back. He thought you should have the privilege of always being in her company," the white-haired man told him. "So he had a powerful priest create a special gift for you to remember her by…"

"Hidetora-san!" hissed Kimie angrily.

Hidetora finished despite her warning. "From her blood and bones…"

Keita's eyes widened in horror as he finally comprehended the meaning of the man's words. He gingerly touched the beads on his wrist and whispered, "Tomoe…chan…?"

It was then that the "fire prince" of the Hamada clan felt his grip on reality finally slipping away. Clutching at his head, he collapsed and began to cry out for his beloved little sister.


	4. Decayed Leaves

**Author's Note:** I'm going to be posting the rest of the story, despite the fact that nobody seems all that interested in reading this. I hope I didn't scare everyone away with the summary. --;

I'm assuming that maybe, due to the fact that there was a lot of unknown elements, some people were confused by the last chapter. To help alleviate any confusion anyone who reads this might have, I'll be posting the entire story this time.

I'd really appreciate a review, even if you don't enjoy everything about the story.

The only chapter posted in proper order, this one is set sometime in the near to distant future and covers the last generation afflicted by the curse, which has become more of an irritation than anything else by that point.

**_Chapter Summary:_** Hiroya Arisugawa has always hated cloudy weather; only the prodding of his sister could get him to leave the house on such a day. When they prepare to visit her fiance one cloudy winter day, he meets the person who could end the cycle that began so long ago...

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Baskets or its characters. However, I do own all of the original characters included herein._

* * *

**Leaves**

**Part 4: Kuchiba**

Hiroya Arisugawa groaned as he glanced out his window. The snowflakes that were even now falling from the heavens could be seen easily. It would be a perfect day—perfectly horrible, that is. He hated winter.

Winter was the time of year that always seemed to take a toll on him, both physically and mentally. It always seemed like he was drained of all energy then—in winter, and during the rainy season. He was certain that the exhaustion that came with the onslaught of cool, cloudy weather had to be some kind of curse. The worst part of it was that it always hit him as soon as he opened his eyes.

Who needed a barometer? Because of his affliction, Hiroya had always been able to tell whether it was cloudy or clear—damp or dry. His friend, Naota Yatoji, teased him that it must have been some sort of bizarre arthritis, and that he would be a shoo-in if he ever decided to be a meteorologist. Personally, he could have done without his "gift"—as his mother had deemed it.

It made him feel as though he could be placed in the same category as his sister's best friend, Atsuko Aoki. Now _there_ was one scary chick.

Atsuko had bizarre powers where electricity was concerned, and embraced the "uniqueness," as she called it, by dressing like a Gothic Lolita and openly cosplaying under the name "Yurei Denki." Personally, he had deemed the girl and her eccentricities as nothing short of freakish; however, he said nothing on the matter, because he knew that it would have been only too easy to categorize himself as a freak as well.

Sometimes he wondered how his little sister, Shizuru, and Atsuko had ever became friends—or how Naota had ever ended up dating her. He knew the answer to first query, of course: his sister had a huge heart and always tried to find the good in everyone, giving them the benefit of the doubt—whether they deserved it or not. The part about Naota going out with Atsuko, though, Hiroya was still a little fuzzy about, but he had decided a long time ago that he would only give himself a headache trying to figure out the particulars of the matter.

The young man muttered a curse under his breath and pulled the blankets over his head in an attempt to return to the wonderful reverie slumber provided when he was faced with the prospect of a cold, cloudy day—the kind that he wished would fall off the face of the calendar. Maybe he could just forget about the promise he'd made to spend time with his girlfriend. She was a reasonable girl—she would understand…

How unfortunate that his baby sister didn't seem to share this sentiment.

Just as Hiroya felt himself getting comfortable enough to doze off again, his bedroom door was thrown open as Shizuru called, "Niichan! Time to get up!"

The young man moaned and did his best to ignore her. His sister frowned as he continued to cuddle under his covers. With a sigh, she tugged the covers off him (causing him to protest incoherently) and said, "Hi-_ro­_-ya,"—she only drawled his name that way when she felt he was ignoring her—"you need to get up! It's almost noon!"

Growling, the orange-haired boy favored her with a withering look that would have sent anyone else away in apprehension; however, the brown-haired girl was more than accustomed to her brother's glares. Still not entirely awake, he slurred something along the lines of "Wha d'ya wan'?"

Shizuru ducked her head a bit, a blush pinkening her cheeks. She wrung her hands in front of her as she softly intoned, "I need a ride to the Sohma Clinic. I made a lunch for Tomoki-kun—but I forgot to give it to him this morning…"

If Hiroya hadn't already been lying down, he was certain he would have fallen over at the sheer absurdity (and innocence) of his sister's request. Muttering under his breath he sat up to properly glower at her. "You're trying to drag me out of bed so that you can deliver a _bento box_ to your _boyfriend!"_

Shizuru's blush deepened as she gazed at him with the best pleading look she could muster. "I know it's a lot to ask, Niichan, and normally I _would_ walk, but…it's snowing and…"

The redhead bit back a groan. _Not the puppy-dog pout! Aw, Shizuru… Damn it, how does she always manage to do this? Better yet, why the hell do I still fall for it!_

Heaving a sigh, Hiroya waved off the remainder of whatever she had been planning to say and threw his legs over the side of the bed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll give you a ride. Just never say that I don't do anything for you…"

With an unbridled smile that would have lit an entire country for its sheer brilliance, Shizuru giggled and hugged her brother briefly before bounding off to get ready for their excursion. Hiroya watched her go with another sigh before stretching and preparing to get ready himself.

As he dressed, he wondered how on Earth he had ever allowed his parents to talk him into letting Shizuru stay with him. He hadn't even been living on his own for a year before they came to him with the prospect. They had claimed she would be closer to Oikawa Women's College, her secondary school of choice, but he suspected it had something to do with her buttering them up so that she could also be close to her boyfriend, Tomoki Asaji.

Hiroya scowled a bit at the thought of Shizuru's boyfriend. The two (he and Tomoki) had met as freshmen at Kawaia High School, both members of Class 1-C, and it had been hate at first sight. For reasons even they did not understand, Hiroya and Tomoki had never been able to spend five minutes in each other's company without fighting, and were as different as night and day.

In fact, the only thing they seemed to be able to agree on was Shizuru. Both men loved her (though in differing ways) and would do anything to ensure her happiness and safety. For that little reason alone, they had slowly built up to ignoring one another in Shizuru's company, for her.

It also looked like Shizuru's boyfriend would become part of the family rather soon. She and Tomoki had been discussing wedding plans as of late, and Hiroya was loath to think of a time when that damn Tomoki would become his brother-in-law. Naota—who had some experience in that department—assured him that it was a fairly natural occurrence, but also teased him that he already had a five-year head start on most brothers-in-law.

_And here I am, getting ready to help her take lunch to him,_ thought the orange-haired man with a sigh as he pulled on a black shirt. Pausing to glance at his reflection in his bureau's mirror, he decided, _I've sunk to a new low._

That's when he heard the doorbell ringing. He looked up, startled. The Arisugawa siblings weren't expecting anyone—who could it be?

Apparently, Shizuru was already two steps ahead of him. As he strode down the hallway, he heard her opening the door and cheerfully greeting the person on the other side: "Sata-chan! You're just in time!"

He reached the end of the hall in time to see his dark-haired girlfriend, Sata Mono, ducking inside with a curious look. "I am? What for?"

"Niichan is going to take us out to eat after I drop off Tomoki-kun's lunch," his sister informed the older girl.

Hiroya started at this before glaring at her. "Hey, that was _not_ part of the plan!"

However, the two girls chose to ignore him in favor of their own conversation. His girlfriend smiled and clapped her hands together in delight. "That sounds like fun! I haven't eaten out in ages! Usually Mother expects me to make meals."

Shizuru nodded. "Yeah, I usually have to cook for Niichan and me, too."

"Don't start, Shizuru—" the boy tried to argue, but he was interrupted yet again when Sata added, "And it'll be the perfect chance to spend time with Hiro-kun! He's been promising to take me out to dinner for a long time."

It was then that the girls apparently decided to favor Hiroya with an acknowledgement of his presence, because his sister suddenly turned to him and inquired, "Are you ready yet, Niichan?"

"Ugh…!" Biting back a curse, the young man merely muttered an affirmation under his breath before grabbing the keys to his car and his jacket.

Before long, the Arisugawa siblings and Sata were on their way to the Sohma Clinic. Upon their arrival, Shizuru begged Hiroya to come inside with her, to ensure that she was safe while she delivered the bento box to Tomoki (and he reluctantly agreed); Sata declined the offer when it was extended to her, deciding to instead remain in the car.

Stepping inside the doors of the Sohma Clinic, Hiroya resisted the urge to shiver. It was a place that he hated to visit—for the sole reason that he'd heard terrible stories about the family that had previously ran it. He didn't know how—or why—anyone could want to work in it, much less come to visit the staff. So what if they had some of the best doctors in town? He would have rather gone across town to the Ashikaga Clinic for medical attention.

Shizuru didn't seem to notice her brother's hesitancy, though. Instead she cheerfully greeted the registration nurse—a platinum-haired woman she called "Harada-san"—and asked to see Tomoki, so that she could deliver the lunch she had for him.

The woman's aureate eyes danced with mirth as she nodded. "Sure, Shi-chan! Tomo-kun will be happy to see you. Tell 'Tsuya-chan I miss him already, if you see him."

Shizuru blinked at the statement, but nodded just the same. "Of course. See you later, Harada-san!" She grabbed her brother by the arm and dragged him behind her. "C'mon, Niichan…"

"Who—or what—was that?" he muttered.

She smiled a bit and answered, "That's Kiyomi Harada-san, Asaji-sensei's wife."

Ah, so _that_ was the strident sister-in-law that he sometimes heard Tomoki lamenting about to Shizuru. Though she was a nurse, her real passion was designing clothing—which she sometimes managed to get her unfortunate brother-in-law to model when she had a spark of inspiration. Hiroya couldn't help wondering how someone as rigid as Etsuya Asaji had ended up with a wife like Kiyomi Harada.

As they entered the waiting area, his sister looked at him curiously. "I have to go back to the doctors' lounge to deliver this, Niichan. Do you want to come with me, or do you want to wait here?"

Hiroya hated to think of spending any more time in this jitter factory than he had to—and going further into the belly of the beast was not a prospect he liked. Making a face, he shook his head. "I'll wait. Just don't take forever."

"I'll try to hurry," Shizuru promised before dashing off down one hallway.

The boy watched her go with a gentle shake of his head before plopping himself down and preparing to find a magazine to read. To his great displeasure, the most interesting thing that he could find seemed to be the _Shirano Book Review_. With a sour look, he started to flip through its pages.

Apparently, though, it was better than he had thought. While reading about an up-and-coming novelist penning under the name "Koinu Aino," he was startled when he suddenly heard an unfamiliar feminine voice inquired, "Is the article _that_ fascinating?"

Jumping slightly, he jerked to his left to see a young woman sitting next to him, wearing a surreptitious smirk. She had lengthy blue-black hair that fell to her waist, and steel-gray eyes that had a malicious glint in them. Just looking at her made his skin crawl.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," she apologized, though the smirk never left her face. "I was just wondering what would spark your interest in a book review magazine."

Hiroya wondered why she was so talkative; most people would rather sit quietly and mind their own business than so much as look at the other people around them. For some reason, though, he felt compelled to keep the conversation going.

"Something by 'Koinu Aino,'" he answered, glancing down to make sure he had the name right. "He just put out something called…_Juunishi no Monogatari_."

"'The Tale of the Juunishi,'" she translated instantaneously. Her mouth quirked. "I wonder if he merely translated the usual story of the Chinese Zodiac, or if he included…other versions…of the story…" She spared him a glance. "Do _you_ know the legend of the Chinese Zodiac?"

The boy shrugged. "What's to know? The Jade Emperor invited thirteen animals to a banquet, but the Rat tricked the Cat into thinking it was the next day, got the Ox to give him a ride, was crowned first out of twelve animals for his sneakiness, and earned the eternal hatred of the Cat—end of story."

The girl chuckled at his quick summary. "My, it seems you aren't a big fan of the Rat. Why is that?"

Hiroya's lip curled up in a sneer and he felt a deep-seated resentment at the mention of the word "Rat." However, it was quickly replaced with confusion and a frown as he shook the feeling off and answered, "Dunno. I guess I just think the Rat never played fair. He didn't deserve to be the First…"

Her cool silver eyes flickered to the hallway that led to the doctors' lounge. Then she glanced back at him as she said, "You know, there is another, lesser known version of the legend…"

"Yeah?" He gazed at her expectantly.

Feeling she had his full attention, she began to articulate herself. "In one version of the story, the Rat—and the other Junikyu—had stolen something precious that belonged to the Cat. He plotted to get back his prized possession, also hoping to exact revenge on the Jade Emperor, who had originally stolen it so that the Junikyu could also marvel at its splendor."

The young man frowned. Why did this seem so familiar? He was certain he had never heard this version of the legend, despite Shizuru's fascination with it…

She continued. "When he arrived at the Jade Emperor's palace, he found who he believed to be the Emperor taking a late-night walk and used the opportunity to his advantage. He assassinated the one he had assumed to be the Jade Emperor and uttered a curse on the Junikyu who watched helplessly."

Images flashed through his mind. A crowd of eleven people watching, standing in a circle around a figure: a dark-haired young man lying in a pool of his own blood. Hiroya felt a pit forming in his stomach. What…?

"However, it soon became apparent that his victim was not the Jade Emperor, but the Rat," the young woman went on. "For the Emperor suddenly stepped forward to see what was going on. When he saw what the abominable Cat had done to his precious Rat, he was driven mad by rage—and uttered a curse upon the Cat himself."

More images. Another dark-haired man cradling the fallen form of the first man, whose hair seemed to have taken on a silver sheen. His mouth moved, screaming words Hiroya couldn't hear.

"The Cat was ashamed of his terrible mistake and wanted to vanish from the face of the Earth. And though he was imprisoned for his unspeakable crime, the Jade Emperor proved to be more benevolent than anyone could have imagined." She paused to glance at her companion, who was somewhat pale. "In a moment of lucidity, he returned the Cat's precious possession to him, but only at a price…"

The face of a sorrowful girl, looking like a Heian princess, formed in his mind. It evoked an inexplicable feeling of remorse that caused tears to well in his eyes and his throat to tighten. Hiroya shook his head weakly as he instinctively grappled for the worn black and white beads that adorned his left wrist.

"The price was one the Cat could not bear. It drove him mad, causing him to slowly mutate until he had become a hideously disfigured monster," she finished softly.

The girl glanced at Hiroya again, a cruel smirk forming once more as she said, "I hope it didn't disturb you. After all, it's _just_ a story…"

Suddenly one of the nurses stepped out with a chart in hand and called, "Isako Sohma-san?"

The young woman jumped to her feet readily. "Here!"

"The doctor will see you now," the nurse informed her.

"Thank you," she said far too cheerily. Glancing back at Hiroya as she grabbed her purse, she smiled icily and told him, "It was nice talking to you!"

Hiroya shivered as she disappeared down the corridor. It was time to hurry Shizuru along; no way could it take _this_ long to deliver lunch to her damn boyfriend.

Just as he was about to purposefully stride back to the doctors' lounge, he saw Shizuru and Tomoki—who wore a coat—coming down the hallway. He gave her a meaningful look before he glared at her boyfriend. "What gives?"

Shizuru gave him a sheepish look, blushing slightly as she said, "I'm sorry, Niichan, but… Tomoki-kun says that he's finished for the day, and he doesn't really need the lunch I made him…"

"_WHAT!"_ demanded her brother in disbelief. "You mean I drove you here for _nothing!"_

"O-oh, no!" She began to wave her arms frantically, in her usual panic-mode manner. "You see, I gave the lunch to Asaji-sensei instead, and invited Tomoki-kun to join us for lunch! I hope that's okay, because—"

"Don't worry about it," muttered Hiroya. He sent a glance in Tomoki's direction and suddenly noticed that he bore a striking similarity to the woman from the waiting room. What had the nurse called her—Isako Sohma? The only major difference—genders aside—was the fact that his sister's boyfriend's hair was lighter. In fact, it looked a lot like that of the man in the image…

"Niisan promises to get the bento box back to you soon," Tomoki said offhandedly, startling Hiroya slightly.

"What's the matter, Niichan?" Shizuru asked as she suddenly realized that her brother's skin was a bit ashen. "You look sick."

"It's nothing," he tried to assure her. When the anxiety refused to erase the crease in her forehead, he sighed before glancing at Tomoki. "Asaji, do you know anybody named…Isako Sohma?"

Tomoki appeared startled. " She's a distant cousin on my mother's side. Why?"

"I…met her…in the waiting room," Hiroya said slowly. He scowled a bit at the discomfort he felt. "She's…weird…"

"Isako isn't exactly the most balanced person in the world," the other man stated flatly by way of explanation as they started to walk out of the clinic. "Her mother was an inmate at the mental institution who was raped by an orderly. She's been shuttled back and forth between distant relatives most of her life. We think she inherited some of her mother's instabilities. And besides that, she's the only real Sohma left."

The blue-eyed girl gazed at her intern boyfriend curiously as they reached the entrance. "Only real Sohma left? What do you mean, Tomoki-kun?"

Tomoki shrugged a bit, holding the door open for her. "The Sohmas used to be a very powerful family; they owned almost everything in town—including the clinic. However, their numbers have dwindled to almost nothing. Isako was born seven months after the death of her grandfather, the last head of the Sohma family. Because of her mother's mental state and Isako's own poor physical health, it's unlikely either of them will ever have children. The line ends with Isako."

Strangely, Hiroya felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Gazing up at the clouds that were beginning to break up, he gently fingered the bracelet on his wrist and murmured, "So, it's finally over…"

Shizuru gave her brother an inquisitive look. "Niichan?"

Then he turned to her and shook his head. "Nothing." He gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer than usual. "C'mon. Let's go to lunch…"


End file.
